Tuesday, June 27, 2006

Volkswagen of America Names Matthias Seidl as Chief Operating Officer

Text from Volkswagen of America.
AUBURN HILLS, Mich.—Effective July 15, 2006, Matthias Seidl will take on the newly created role of Chief Operating Officer at Volkswagen of America, Inc. Making this announcement was Adrian Hallmark, Executive Vice-President, Volkswagen of America, to whom Matthias will directly report.

“We at Volkswagen are delighted to have Matthias’ enthusiasm, commitment and experience, as he will be responsible for the strategic direction, definition and development of Volkswagen of America sales including the development and enhancement of the dealer network,” said Adrian. Matthias’ new role will help ensure Volkswagen meets the needs of the market and the company.

An alumnus of Cass Business School, London, England and Harvard University’s Business School, Matthias joined Volkswagen AG in 1989 as an Area Manager in Belgium, Netherlands and Luxemburg where he served for over two years. His most recent position was Executive Director Sales American Region, a key member of the Volkswagen AG leadership team responsible for overall performance of the North American market.

Prior to joining Volkswagen, Matthias spent 13 years in key management and executive positions at Audi AG and its Importer Operations where he was instrumental in significantly increasing sales for Audi.

Founded in 1955, Volkswagen of America, Inc. is headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It is a subsidiary of Volkswagen AG, headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany. Volkswagen is one of the world’s largest producers of passenger cars and Europe’s largest automaker. Volkswagen sells the Rabbit, New Beetle, New Beetle convertible, GTI, GLI, Jetta, Passat, Passat Wagon, Touareg and Phaeton through more than 600 independent U.S. dealers.